1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of managing competitions, and more specifically to a method, system and computer program product for remunerating early-eliminated contestants in a rodeo or roping competition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Contestants across the continental United States pay entry fees to roping and rodeo competitions. These contestants often pay fees of several hundred to several thousand dollars to compete in events sponsored by organizations such as the USTRC® (United States Team Roping Championships), ACTRA (American Cowboy Team Roping Association), World Series of Team Roping, state fairs and rodeos, and other competitions.
These roping competitions are usually sanctioned and managed in accordance with well-established criteria set forth in writing, such as the USTRC® Rule Book. The events are often marketed to contestants of an identified skill level (e.g. beginner, beginner novice, heeler, high level amateur, semi pro, elite, and the like) in published materials subscribed to by roping and rodeo enthusiasts across the country, such as SuperLooper Magazine.
Contestants from across the country regularly pay entry fees months in advance for the opportunity to compete in well marketed events, then expend large amounts of money and time to travel to the events for the chance to compete in the single elimination structure comprising multiple “runs,” each of which results in a minority of the contests proceeding to a subsequent run.
Contestants who are eliminated during the first run, or during earlier runs in a tournament competition, often find all efforts and expenditures to compete were for naught, and face no way of recouping costs associated with the competition. For this reason, contestant entries into well-marketing competitions are in a state of permanent depression. Lesser skilled contestants are afraid of competing in events out of fear of early elimination, stifling the enthusiasm of coming generations of competitors, all as are revenues fall that could be generated by event sponsors from the more numerous contestant pools were certain portions of the costs recoupable by contestants. Additionally, contestants are often barred from entering large competitions if they do not pay membership dues to the organization, sanctioning the said competition, such as the USTRC. Contestants from differing third-party organizations are often not permitted to compete in an event sponsored by any one team roping organization.
Contestants from a variety of team roping organizations unconsciously would appreciate the opportunity to announce their intention before competing in roping events to enter a tournament open to winning contestants from any nationally advertised roping event.
The prior art in the industry teaches no way of mitigating the inherent risk of being eliminated from most roping competitions after one, two, or a short amount of runs and no way of avoiding the complete loss of entry fees, travel, board and other incidental expenses in the cases of earlier elimination.
There exists no means in the art of allowing, or managing, contest entry fees in such a way that contestants are remunerated in the case of early elimination, or of recognizing a plurality of membership organizations in a single roping event.